Abdullah said likely to boycott election

KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Abdullah Abdullah, Afghan President Hamid Karzai's opponent, likely will announce this weekend he will boycott the Nov. 7 runoff election, a source told CNN.

The U.S. news network, citing an unnamed Western source close to Afghan leadership, said talks between Karzai and Abdullah had broken down.

Word of the apparent collapse of negotiations came a day after Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, predicted in an interview with CNN that the country would soon be governed under a power-sharing deal.

"Both (candidates) want power-sharing," Khalilzad said. "Karzai wanted to be first declared the winner or win the election and then offer something from a position of strength, while Abdullah Abdullah wanted to go to a second round but have a power-sharing agreement without the vote."

Khalilzad also said Abdullah is running out of money and worries he could lose.

Also Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama met with military advisers about strategy in Afghanistan. Sources told CNN each branch of the armed services had a chance to predict the effect on the military of sending a "large number" of additional forces to Afghanistan.

Khalilzad called the outcome of Afghan election negotiations critical in Obama's decision.

"There are very few very capable Afghans, and they need to come together in a power-sharing arrangement," he said, "because whatever the decision is here in the United States, this will be one last chance to push for success in Afghanistan. And that cannot happen without the Afghan leaders doing their part."